Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900): 5 Must-Know Concepts

The Azure Fundamentals exam (AZ-900) validates foundational knowledge of cloud concepts and Microsoft Azure services. These five concepts are the vocabulary the rest of the exam assumes.

1. Cloud Concepts#

Cloud concepts make up roughly 20–25% of AZ-900. Treat this domain as the vocabulary the rest of the exam assumes.

Benefits of Cloud Computing#

• High Availability — Systems remain operational even during failures
• Scalability — Add resources vertically (scale up) or horizontally (scale out)
• Elasticity — Automatically adjust resources based on demand
• Agility — Deploy and configure resources quickly
• Geo-distribution — Deploy to regions worldwide

CapEx vs OpEx#

Cloud Service Models#

Test Your Understanding#

2. Azure Architecture Components#

Azure is organized into a hierarchy that enables resource management at scale:

Geographic Organization#

Resource Organization#

Management Groups
    └── Subscriptions
            └── Resource Groups
                    └── Resources

• Management Groups — Organize multiple subscriptions for governance
• Subscriptions — Billing boundary and access control boundary
• Resource Groups — Logical containers for related resources
• Resources — Individual services (VMs, databases, storage accounts)

Azure Resource Manager (ARM)#

ARM is the deployment and management service for Azure. All interactions with Azure resources go through ARM, whether you use the portal, CLI, PowerShell, or APIs.

3. Core Azure Services#

The exam covers a broad range of services across these key categories:

Compute#

• Azure Virtual Machines — IaaS compute, full OS control
• Azure App Service — PaaS for web apps, APIs, mobile backends
• Azure Functions — Serverless, event-driven compute
• Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) — Managed Kubernetes orchestration
• Azure Container Instances — Run containers without managing servers

Storage#

• Blob Storage — Object storage for unstructured data (images, videos, backups)
• Disk Storage — Persistent disks for Azure VMs
• Azure Files — Managed file shares accessible via SMB
• Queue Storage — Message queuing for application decoupling

Networking#

• Virtual Network (VNet) — Private network in Azure
• VPN Gateway — Encrypted connections to on-premises
• Azure ExpressRoute — Private, dedicated connection to Azure
• Azure Load Balancer — Distribute traffic across VMs
• Azure Application Gateway — Layer 7 load balancer with WAF

Databases#

• Azure SQL Database — Managed SQL Server database
• Azure Cosmos DB — Globally distributed NoSQL database
• Azure Database for MySQL/PostgreSQL — Managed open-source databases

4. Azure Pricing and Support#

Understanding Azure pricing is crucial for the exam and real-world cost optimization.

Azure Free Account#

Azure offers a free account that includes:

• $200 credit for the first 30 days
• 12 months of popular free services
• Always free services (25+ services with limits)

Pricing Models#

Cost Management Tools#

• Azure Cost Management + Billing — Monitor and optimize spending
• Azure Pricing Calculator — Estimate costs before deployment
• TCO Calculator — Compare on-premises vs Azure costs

Support Plans#

5. Security, Privacy, and Compliance#

Security is fundamental to Azure — expect many exam questions on identity, network security, and compliance.

Identity and Access#

• Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) — Cloud-based identity and access management
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) — Additional verification beyond passwords
• Conditional Access — Policies that control access based on conditions
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) — Fine-grained access management

Network Security#

• Network Security Groups (NSGs) — Filter traffic to/from Azure resources
• Azure Firewall — Managed, cloud-based network security
• Azure DDoS Protection — Defense against distributed denial-of-service attacks
• Azure Private Link — Access Azure services over private endpoints

Security Services#

• Microsoft Defender for Cloud — Unified security management and threat protection
• Azure Key Vault — Securely store secrets, keys, and certificates
• Azure Information Protection — Classify and protect documents and emails

Compliance#

Azure maintains a comprehensive compliance portfolio including:

• GDPR — European data protection regulation
• HIPAA — Healthcare data in the US
• ISO 27001 — Information security management
• SOC 1, 2, 3 — Service organization controls

Use the Microsoft Trust Center and Azure Compliance Documentation to explore compliance offerings.

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Know your range before test day#

AZ-900 fundamentals are in place. Sit a short diagnostic, practice free on weak areas, then use a timed sitting when you want a readiness range.

• Timed diagnostic with domain-level breakdown
• Clear signal on what to drill next
• Practice free; timed sittings and readiness range on Pro

Take the free AZ-900 assessment →

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Next step: Start practicing free on the AZ-900 hub, or sit a short diagnostic first.